Ford Thunderbird

Thank you for contacting the Center
for Auto Safety (CAS) about your 1985-97 Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar
or Lincoln Mark which are built on the same platform and share common
features. After 1997 Ford killed off the T-bird/Mark and replaced the
Cougar with a car built on the same platform as the Ford Contour and Mercury
Mystique. The T-bird in its dying days little resembled the legendary
'55 T-bird and may come back in 2001. CAS has received many complaints
from consumers concerning fires, brakes,
paint, stalling, transmissions, and unintended
acceleration in the Mark, T-bird and Cougar.

Although among Ford's most reliable
cars, these models still have their share of problems. Consumer
Reports rates the electrical system and brakes as the most trouble-prone
areas on 1988-93 models with worse than average frequency of repair ratings.
CAS has been flooded with brake complaints on these cars, particularly
premature brake wear. Some owners have reported replacing
brakes as often as every 2-3,000 miles. There have been four safety recalls
for various brake defects on many 1988-97 models. Although not as dangerous
as brake defects, Ford has also issued numerous service bulletins about
engineandtransmission problems.

A common and expensive defect is peeling
paint on 1985-92 models. Ford attempted to cover up paint problems
by buying off aggressive consumers under a secret warranty and ignoring
consumers who don't complain loudly. CAS petitioned the Federal Trade
Commission and every state attorney general in 1994 to take action on
Ford's peeling paint secret warranty. In 1987, Ford recalled 3.6 million
1986-87 vehicles for faulty fuel line couplings thatcaused engine compartment fires. In 1996, Ford recalled 1988-93
Cougars and T-birds for defective ignition switches that started dash
fires but refused to recall earlier 1983-1987 models with the same ignition
switch.

Another dangerous defect in full-size
Fords is sudden or unintended acceleration. CAS pressured
DOT to investigate sudden acceleration in 1983-86 Fords with 3.8 and 5.0
liter engines, but DOT failed to order a recall despite almost 500 complaints
and 136 reported injuries. NHTSA also investigated 1991-93 models with
3.8 liter V6 engines for high idle speed but again closed
it without a recall. Although Ford recalled 1.1 million 1984-85 cars with
1.6L and 2.3L engines for stalling at highway speeds
when ignition modules mounted on the distributor overheated, Ford failed
to recall any larger engine T-birds, Cougars or Marks with similar modules.
Ford continued this design through 1988 on T-birds and Cougars and 1992
on Marks.

You'll find information on these and other T-bird class defects below
and what you can do about them plus a complaint
box. Your information will help us build a strong case against Ford
on the defects we know about and help us spot new ones.

We need you to support the Center for Auto Safety in our
fight for consumer rights and against poorly designed and unsafe cars.
Your contribution is tax-deductible
and entitles your to our quarterly newsletter, Lemon Times.
Please submit the membership form along with
your contribution and complaint. If you contribute $35 or more, we will send you the current edition of The Ultimate Car Book, by Jack Gillis.
Every home should have this invaluable consumer guide.